Authors: Ednah Walters
“Wow,” Hayden whispered. I didn’t realize she was behind me. “How is he doing that?”
“The souls are drawn to the black runes.”
“I didn’t know he could control his wings like that,” she added.
Me neither, but I totally wanted to make out with him when they were out. More souls came from the trees surrounding our school and from the water. And not all were dark souls. Some looked like regular people—men, women, and children in clothes from the decade they’d died—from modern clothes to centuries old gowns, slaves and masters, military men and women. The bayou had its shares of dead bodies, but I had no idea there were this many.
The students who’d hidden inside the school building and the trailer trickled out. Completely oblivious to the souls, Eirik retracted his wings and scales, leaving behind rips on his flight suit, and squatted next to the two Draugar he’d trapped by his mace. The chain of
Gunnlögi
had wrapped around their necks, the magical mace the only thing stopping them from disintegrating and escaping into the earth.
I looked over my shoulder to find the bathroom empty. Hayden had already left with the students. Knowing her, she’d taken the injured to the ER and coached them on what to say along the way.
~*~
EIRIK
I was so furious I wanted to rip apart the bodies at my feet. Draugar might act intelligent and ruthless, but they rarely attacked in packs, unless someone was controlling them. I studied the teachers and the few students hugging the wall of the school building, their eyes volleying between the creatures on the ground and me. Could one of them be working with Marguerite and her girls? I found Celestia’s crows on the roofs of cars.
“They helped,” she said.
I glanced over my shoulder and my eyes met hers. She smiled and my anger melted away. That was all I needed to see. The beautiful smile that said she was okay. The portal was closed, Hayden and the students gone.
I didn’t get rid of my black runes yet, needing them to contain the souls. I stared into the black eyes of the two Draugar. These two belonged in Corpse Strand.
“I don’t care who used you. You made a big mistake going after someone I love. I’m going to release you now. Go join the others. If you try to flee, I’ll make you wish you never defied me.”
I stood and raised my hand. The chain untangled from their necks and
Gunnlögi
flew to my hand. The flesh, mud, and bones melted into the ground, leaving behind the dark masses that were once regular souls. They didn’t try to run.
I glanced at the Grimnirs. They’d gotten rid of the filth on their clothes, along with the stench. Daiku finished etching runes on the ground, which explained why the bones were disappearing into the ground. Ranger already opened a portal and was directing the souls through it. He came to get the two souls by my side.
“We’ll separate Draugar souls from the innocent ones,” he said. I nodded.
“Do you want us to continue searching for Marguerite and the girls?”
“No. We’ll continue tomorrow. We’ll come home as soon as we’re done here.”
They left and I turned to face the principal, the teachers, and the students. The students stared at me as though I had all the answers while Mr. Warburg and the teachers were having a mini conference to the side. He kept glancing at me. I guess I should not have run through that portal still shifting back to my human form. I hadn’t cared who saw me. I’d been concerned with reaching Celestia.
“Someone summoned these souls, but I’m going to find out who it is and make them pay,” I said and listened to their heartbeats for a telltale change. They stared back, their heartbeats steady. They weren’t involved.
Celestia came to stand beside me and took my hand. My anger ebbed away. “It was Miriam. I found her energy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. They did this.”
Damn. When I get hold of those Immortals, they were going to regret ever coming after Celestia. Sounds came from the trailer to my left. The students who’d hidden there were stepping down and moving toward us. More still hid inside, their hearts pounding with dread.
“What is that building?” I asked her.
“Temporary lockers and changing rooms for students to use after the gym.”
“Mr. Warburg,” I called out and the principal moved closer. “Ask the students to come out and reassure them that this will never happen again.” I looked up at the second floor windows. Faces were pressed on the windows. “Tell those upstairs to come down, too. I’ll double security around the school for the next six weeks.” Unease flashed in the man’s eyes. “The students won’t even notice them.”
The principal indicated to the teachers and several went toward the trailer to talk to the students while two more entered the building, presumably to get the students in the building.
“It’s not that we don’t appreciate the offer, Baldurson,” Mr. Warburg said. “But Immortals are not allowed in our school. This charter school is for Witches only. No Mortals or Immortals are allowed, especially after the attacks last month.” The principal’s eyes went to Celestia. “Hayden Ferrand and Celestia move like Immortals. We believe they opened a portal.”
“And rescued injured students and took them to…” I glanced at Celestia.
“The hospital,” she finished.
As though on cue, Hayden joined us. “Where I explained to the ER staff that there was an attack by some weird swamp creature that spooked the students. They won’t be asking questions and the students are sticking to my story.”
“We have to convene a board meeting to discuss this before you two are allowed back in school,” Mr. Warburg added.
Rage washed over me once more. “Really? They rescued the students and you want to kick them out of school?”
“Celestia already knows who did this. How do we know they won’t come back again? We have to think about the safety of the students.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Hayden said, raising her hand. “No one is kicking me out. I’m officially dropping out. I’ve wanted to do this for months, but only stayed because my best friend was here. And FYI, just because someone is Immortal does not stop him or her from being a Witch. Celestia is one of the most gifted Witches you’ll ever meet. You’re lucky she’s a student here. And let’s not forget that Eirik stopped the Draugar. He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her.”
“Stop,” Celestia said. “If our presence is endangering the students, then dropping out is the only thing to do.”
“No,” I ground out, searching her face. “This was your dream. Prom. Graduation. College. You wanted it all and I’m going to give it to you. No one, not him”—I pointed at the principal—“or the board, or some stupid rule is going to stop you from having your dream. I won’t let them.”
“No, Eirik.” She took my hand in both of hers. “I didn’t want them for me. I wanted them for my father, so he’d have memories of me doing normal things a daughter does.” She glanced at the principal and the teachers before smiling self-consciously. “I wanted him at the door on my prom night, watching me drive away with my date to the prom. Take pictures when I receive my diploma on my graduation day. Drive me to college and tell every guy that passed by he was the police chief. You know, proud father moments.” Her voice trembled as she continued. “He’s had nothing but craziness and constant worrying since I was a child. But he would agree with my decision. Miriam and the others are after me and they will keep coming after me, until we either stop them or they succeed with their plans. They won’t care who they hurt, so it’s better this way.”
The pain in her voice made me want to punch something or someone. I glared at the teachers. Some couldn’t meet my gaze while others appeared to be having an argument on the side. I focused on the principal.
“I’m sorry you’re using the behavior of a few Immortals to justify what you’re doing, Mr. Warburg. You can either continue to wallow in that cesspool or rise above it for the sake of your students.” These Witches needed to know that this Witch school wouldn’t be the only option for students, thanks to Raine. “Come this fall, Mystic Academy will open its doors to all Witches around the globe. The school will be free and students will have a chance to become something they’d only dreamed of.” I didn’t say Immortal, but from their expressions, they knew what I meant. “Most of you have gifted children in this school. That means they’ll receive invitations in the summer and a chance to visit the school before school starts. If they choose to attend the academy, they will have Immortal Witches as classmates and roommates. The founders of Mystic Academy are Immortals. The teachers will be both Mortal and Immortal Witches. I’d hoped to see some of the teachers from this school and the Guild members across this realm apply for teaching positions. Don’t blow your chances because of one incident. Oh, and by the way, my recommendation will carry a lot of weight.”
The teachers started speaking at once, but I silenced them with a lift of my finger.
“I’m done discussing this. Have your board meeting and make your decision. In the meantime, Hayden and Celestia will clear out their lockers. Excuse us.”
“I’ll clear our lockers,” Hayden said. “You two go. We’ll talk later.” Then she indicated Celestia with her head. I saw why when I turned and faced Celestia. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
“Did you just threaten the teachers for me?” she whispered.
“Damn right. If they want to join the faculty at Mystic Academy, they’ll give you what you want. You’ll graduate. With honors.”
She laughed and my chest squeezed until it hurt to breathe. I was insanely in love with this girl and planned to make her every wish and dream come true. I pulled her to my side and walked away from the students, who were talking excitedly, and the teachers, who were ready to come to blows. We went toward the front of the school.
“I don’t think I will graduate, with or without honors, but thank you.”
“Don’t give up yet. And FYI, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy.”
She squeezed my waist. “Did you mean it about Mystic Academy?”
“Yes. Lavania—that’s Raine’s mentor, Femi; Svana’s best friend, and Hawk; Svana’s business associate—are working on it. They’ve already chosen a secluded castle. Somewhere in Ireland or Scotland. They’re keeping it a secret for now.” I imagined what could have happened to her this afternoon had she left without the Grimnirs. “I’m happy you didn’t come to face the Draugar alone. Not finding you at the hall scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry about that. I went into a trance, saw the vision of the attack, and had to come. I didn’t know the attack were by Draugar. I just want to forget about them. Can we go home?”
She just called Eljudnir home. “Sure, but first, we’re making one detour.”
“To where?”
“Kayville, Oregon.”
She studied my face. “You’re thinking of talking to Cora?”
“No. I know everything points to her: her looks, the runes on her body, and the fact that she’d been admitted at Providence Mental Institution, which is for Immortals. But I’m hesitant to tell her. If I’m wrong, she’ll think I’m crazy. If I’m right, she might lose it. She’s strong, yet fragile. The first time she learned about the supernatural world, she ended up at PMI. I’d hate to have her end up there again, especially after I saw how Marguerite treated the residents at Serenity House. Engage your cloaking runes.”
I did and also lifted the hood of my cloak. I didn’t need the cloak anymore, but since I was new to runes, I liked to have it around just in case I screwed up.
“So who are you going to see if not Cora?”
“Her parents. She’s at school now, but they should be home. They can give me the final proof we need.”
CELESTIA
The portal opened on the porch of a farmhouse. There was a wicker bench with cushions by the door and the sweet aroma of apple pie drifted from the kitchen window. After our meeting on Wednesday, I would never have believed Cora lived on a farm. The second we went through the portal, we were surrounded by Grimnirs, including Nara and Rhys. Like us, they were cloaked.
“What are you guys doing here?” Eirik asked.
Instead of answering him, Rhys indicated to the other four Grimnirs and they went into hyper speed and disappeared.
“We are keeping an eye on Cora,” Nara said.
“Why?” Eirik glanced at his watch. “Shouldn’t she be in school? It’s barely one in the afternoon.”
“The school is out early because of the prom,” Nara said. “Maliina tried to possess her and she fought back. The brief possession drained her, so she’s sleeping it off upstairs.”
“Damn. Where is Echo? If anything happens to her…”
I took Eirik’s hand and he got distracted. I’d noticed my touch often calmed him down. He was starting to think of Cora as his sister even if he still wanted proof. I didn’t. She had to be the one. The way he was so protective of those he cared about, he and Echo were going to knock heads once Cora became a part of his life.
“He was with Tristan when we left the hall,” Nara said.
“Dev said there will be an attack by dark souls tonight at the prom, so I hope he makes it,” Rhys mumbled. “What are you doing here?”
“Tonight at what time?”
Rhys glanced at Nara. “Seven?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not leaving until I have Maliina. I’m personally escorting her dark soul to Corpse Strand.”
“You may have to take a number because she’s mine,” Eirik said. “Since we’re not going to Asgard today, I’ll be there to help.” Eirik glanced around and frowned at himself. “Dimples, remove the hood now.”
I did and he added, “Celestia and I will be there to help. For now, excuse us while we visit with the Jemisons.”
The Grimnirs looked curious, but they didn’t ask questions. They disappeared.
“I’ll make it brief so we can go home,” Eirik said.
Eirik knocked and we waited. We couldn’t hear a thing, but I felt their energies. Their energies weren’t as powerful as most Witches I knew, but they were definitely gifted people.
“Maybe they don’t want visitors,” I whispered.
“Too bad. Their heartbeats just shot up.” He inhaled. “And I smell fear.” He raised his voice. “I know you are home, Mr. and Mrs. Jemison. You have two choices. You can either let us in, so we talk. Or we’ll create a portal and come in anyway, wake up Cora, and tell her the truth about you.”
Sounds came from inside before the door swung opened to reveal an older blond woman in dungarees and a tall man in glasses. They didn’t look happy to see us, yet I knew they’d known Eirik since he and Cora became friends in elementary school. Without saying a word, they stepped aside and we entered. They didn’t offer us refreshments.
“Please, sit,” Mrs. Jemison said and indicated a couch. They waited until we sat, before she and her husband took the loveseat across from us.
“What can we do for you, Eirik?” her husband asked.
“We want the truth. How many people around here know you are Immortals?”
The couple exchanged a glance.
“Is that why you’re here?” Mrs. Jemison asked, looking confused. “To find out about our friends? We were not involved with the Immortals who terrorized the orphans. We don’t care about going to other realms either. We just want to be left alone.”
“No, Mrs. Jemison. I’m just wondering how you’ve managed to hide in plain sight. No one knew you were Immortals.”
“Svana has always known,” Mrs. Jemison said. “Lavania, Femi, and Hawk. Your guardians, the Sevilles did. The Chapmans. The Rutledges.”
“The nosy lady across the street from Raine’s house?” Eirik asked. If he was trying to lighten the mood, it didn’t work.
“Yes, and the other two neighbors, the Petersons and the Rosses,” Mr. Jemison added.
“How long were you planning to keep your secret from Cora?”
They exchanged another glance, panic flashing on their faces.
“What do you want, Eirik?” Mrs. Jemison asked. “We’ve heard about what you did for the orphans and the Witches, but we prefer to continue living quietly on our farm with our daughter. We don’t want to be part of the orphan community. Our friends here are enough for us.”
“Allow me to explain, dear,” her husband said and leaned forward. “You see, we stopped adding runes after adopting Cora. We’ve raised and outlived other children and walked away from our grandchildren out of fear of being discovered. So we’d vowed to stop adding runes when we got our next child and we did exactly that. We wanted to age naturally and experience everything Mortal parents do.”
“So you have no intention of telling her she was adopted or that she came from another realm?” Anger crept in Eirik’s voice and the Jemisons became quiet, unease on their faces. I reached for Eirik’s hand. He gripped it. This wasn’t easy for him. I stroked the back of his hand until he calmed down.
“You said you wanted to age naturally. Did something happen to make you change your minds?” I asked, and the Jemisons focused on me. Cora’s mother even smiled.
“Yes. It started when Cora started seeing souls, but she adjusted and we thought she’d be okay. Then she started dating Echo,” Mrs. Jemison said. “We realized she was part of our world whether we wanted it or not. All that remained was telling her the truth, but we couldn’t find the perfect moment to do so. The longer we waited the harder it became.” Her husband put his arm around her. “We finally decided to let her tell us about her gifts and Echo first.”
“Do you know who her parents are?” Eirik asked, impatiently.
“Of course not. The adoption agency doesn’t give out such information. Not even her name or her age,” Mrs. Jemison said. “We chose a name and a birthday for her, just like we did for our previous daughter.”
“The blanket,” her husband whispered to the wife.
“What, dear?”
“We have the blanket,” Mr. Jemison said.
“Oh yes. The blanket is the only thing of hers from the other realm. We kept it just in case this”—she indicated the meeting with a wave of her hand—“ever happened.”
“Can we see it?” Eirik asked.
“Why?” the Jemisons asked at the same time, their voices rising.
“Because I know Cora’s parents and they want me to confirm it.”
Panic flashed on their faces. Mrs. Jemison looked at the husband.
“No,” she said in a tiny voice, tears filling her eyes. “Not our baby. He can’t.”
The husband put his arms around her. “It’s okay, honey. I’m sure even if they want to take her from us, Cora will always be ours. We’ve loved her since she was a baby. Raised her. Watched her turn into a lovely woman. Remember how small she was for her age? And how you’d wake up in the middle of the night to check if she was breathing? The ear infections, flu, boy problems… She’s ours. No matter where she goes, she’ll always be ours.”
She shook her head and stared defiantly at Eirik “I threw away the blanket. We don’t have it anymore.”
I felt the woman’s pain and her husband’s frustration, but they didn’t know Eirik. He wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted. He opened his mouth, but I gripped his hand and shook my head.
“Let me,” I mouthed, then leaned forward. “Mrs. Jemison, Cora will always be your daughter. You are the one who woke up at night to feed her and change her, you stayed up with her when she was sick, watched her take her first steps, say her first words, worried when she first went to school, and when she went on her first date.” Mrs. Jemison stopped crying. “I heard you homeschooled her until she was in fifth grade, so you laid the foundation of the woman she is now.” She smiled. “And now she helps souls find closure. I’m sure you already know that.” They nodded. “I met her for the first time this week and I saw beyond her beauty to her kindness and sweetness. She’s giving and loving, and unstoppable.” They smiled and nodded, again. “That’s your doing and no one will ever take that away from you. You deserve to be very proud of the person she’s become.”
“We are,” Mrs. Jemison and her husband said in unison.
“Good. Now imagine you carrying her for nine months. You spend months decorating her room with beautiful murals and perfect furniture, making sure her clothes and things are carefully sewn with the softest of fabrics and you even monogram them with your special rune. You lost a son a year before, so you’re looking forward to having your little girl because maybe, just maybe having her will make the pain bearable. Then she’s born and she’s perfect.” The Jemisons watched me with unblinking eyes. “For three days, you nurse her, listen to her breathe and cry, study her every feature until you memorize her every expression. You laugh when she grips your finger and sigh when she curls up in your arms because finally, you have another baby to love. You’ve been given a second chance to be a mother and a father. You and your husband plan her future. She’ll never want for anything. But just because you don’t want your daughter stolen the same way your son was, you etch special runes on her body. And with those runes, you believe you’ve protected your child against everything. On the fourth day, they show you her lifeless body and tell you she is gone. Everything changes. For seventeen years, you mourn her death. On her birthdays, you cover everything in your house with black sheets. Portraits. Statues. You go to the beautiful room you decorated and grieve, wondering how you’ve been able to survive the pain of losing the only two children you ever had—every year for seventeen years, Mrs. Jemison. And then you learn that your little girl never died. That someone lied to you and she is alive.” I released a breath and studied the couple. Mrs. Jemison was crying again, except this time, the tears were for Cora’s birth mother. “What would you do? Would you walk away or do everything in your power to find her, seize the chance you’ve been given, and get to know your daughter?”
“We had no idea.” She looked at her husband and he squeezed her hand. “I’ll get the blanket.” She got up, gave us a brief smile, and left the room.
I leaned against Eirik and sighed. Mr. Jemison studied me. “That was the saddest yet the most moving story I’ve ever heard. Is it true?”
I glanced at Eirik and found him staring at me, emotions I couldn’t describe churning in the depth of his amber eyes.
“Every word,” he whispered, awe in his voice.
Mrs. Jemison came back. In her hand was a green baby blanket. Even before Eirik got up and took the blanket, I saw the runes.
“Do you recognize it?” I asked.
“Yes.” He turned the blanket, until he found the rune sewn at the corner. Mrs. Jemison’s eyes volleyed between Eirik and me.
“The story she just told us…?” she asked.
“Is my mother’s story,” Eirik said. “My mother has drawers filled with my sister’s things. Blankets. Clothes. Towels. This is one of them.” He handed the blanket back to Mrs. Jemison. “Can I see her?”
The Jemisons frowned.
“She’s resting,” Cora’s mother said. “I think a soul possessed her against her will. It usually drains her.”
“I’m not going to wake her up,” Eirik said. “I want to show you something.”
The Jemisons led the way to Cora’s room. Eirik went to stand by her bed and stared down at Cora. She was sound asleep. He let the black runes cover his arm, and then he squatted and let his hand hover close to Cora’s. It wasn’t long before similar runes appeared on her arm. He looked up at us.
An array of emotions flashed in his eyes—relief, happiness, and concern. His eyes slitted and scales appeared on his arms and face. Gasps came from the Jemisons, but I didn’t try to reassure them. I stepped forward and went to him. I knew him well enough to know he’d shifted to contain his emotions, not because he was losing it. He was in control of his dragon. He gripped my hand and stood.
Man, he was seriously cutting circulation to my hand, but I didn’t complain. Instead, I engaged endurance runes. Without saying anything, we left the room. By the time we reached downstairs, his scales were gone and his eyes were back to normal. He didn’t sit down.
“What do the runes mean?” Mr. Jemison asked.
“They are locator runes my mother etched on her when she was born. They mean she is my sister. I’ve been looking for her for months, but my father, who knew she’d been kidnapped, has been searching for her since she was taken. Mom, on the other hand, thought she’d died. Tell Cora she was adopted, Mr. and Mrs. Jemison. Tell her who you really are and show her the blanket.” They glanced at each other. “Don’t mention me or my family. You have one week.”
Mrs. Jemison glanced at her husband. “Please, we need more time. A month maybe to prepare her and ourselves. Say our goodbyes”
“You’ve had seventeen years, Mrs. Jemison,” Eirik said, his voice firm. “My mother should not be forced to wait another minute, but I’m giving you a week. If she learns I’ve found Einmyria, she’d be here right now, demanding to see her. I want Cora to have her prom. You have a week with her. Tell her where she came from and who you are. And please, continue to protect her, more so now than before. If anyone learns of her true identity, they could kidnap her.” He pulled out his artavo.